Runestone
Runestone is a castle in the Vale of Arryn. It is the seat of House Royce, an ancient House once ruled the Vale as the "Bronze Kings" of the Vale before the Andal Invasion. House Royce are now one of the major vassal houses holding fealty to House Arryn of the Eyrie. The castle is located east of the Eyrie, on the coast of the Narrow Sea. It is north of the port-city Gulltown.HBO viewers guide, season 5: episode 1 map, Runestone entry History The current head of House Royce and Lord of Runestone is Yohn Royce, father of Robar and Waymar Royce. The maester appointed to the castle is Helliweg and its master-at-arms is Ser Samwell Stone. Season 5 Robin Arryn is sent to be fostered at Runestone, where Royce's men begin attempting to train him to use a sword, but he is miserably bad at it. Sweetrobin was over-sheltered by his mother Lysa for years, and has never swung a sword before - unlike most boys who are even younger than the 13-year-old Robin Arryn. Petyr Baelish and Sansa Stark observe Sweetrobin tripping over himself in a practice yard, along with Yohn Royce. As Littlefinger and Sansa depart, Lord Royce promises that he will keep the boy safe, though he cannot promise his swordsmanship will improve."The Wars To Come" Season 6 Royce oversees Robin Arryn's archery training, watching in contempt as Robin fails to hit the marks. The training is interrupted when Baelish arrives by carriage. Royce is outraged as Baelish told him that he and Sansa Stark would return to the Fingers, yet Sansa was married to Ramsay Bolton at Winterfell. Baelish uses the opportunity, falsely claiming that on the way to the Fingers they were attacked by a vast Bolton host which seemed to have inside knowledge of Baelish's travel plans. Baelish reveals that Royce was the only one he told about his route and begins casting aspersions on his loyalty, asking Robin how to fare with him. Although Robin at first plans to throw Royce out of the Moon Door, Baelish advises him to spare Royce because of his loyalty to House Arryn. With the dark realization that Robin is under Baelish's control, Royce pleads with Robin for another chance, and Robin agrees. Royce is named commander of the armies of the Vale and told to round up the Vale's soldiers in order to march North and save Sansa from Ramsay."Book of the Stranger" Image gallery 501 Runestone Littlefinger Sansa Sweetrobin training.jpg|Littlefinger, Sansa, and Lord Yohn Royce at Runestone, watching Sweetrobin Arryn begin training with the master-at-arms. 501 Sweetrobin training at Runestone.jpg|Sweetrobin training in the practice yard at Runestone, the mountains behind them. In the novels In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Royce proudly descends from the First Men, one of the very few of their Houses to survive the Andal invasion in the Vale. The head of House Royce wears ceremonial bronze armor covered in the rune symbols of the Old Tongue of the First Men, which are also featured on House Royce's sigil. It seems probable that "Rune-stone" was named after runes left behind by the First Men in the area. See also * (spoilers from the books) References de:Runenstein pl:Runestone ru:Рунный Камень fr:Roches-aux-runes Category:Castles Category:House Royce Category:Locations in the Vale of Arryn